When Stephanie was getting her MBA, many of her friends were getting laid off and they all had the same question: how do I start my own business? Stephanie realized that she wasn’t necessarily learning how to start a business in business school. Instead, she was learning how to run one.

So Stephanie thought she’d create a space for people to learn ground level business information for free. Chic CEO was born. With honesty, tenacity and a large dose of believing in herself, Stephanie has grown her business into the thriving network that it is today. In this exclusive interview, Stephanie tells us how to get started building your own business, why she doesn’t believe that following your passion will necessarily make you successful and how she stays inspired.